From 16-20 July last, British and Wentworth Woodhouse invited garden and flower lovers to bask in summer gardening goodness and floral art during the first ever RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse. Acacia Creative Studio was there to make distinctive designs that I'd love to show and about which I would like to tell. These were two installations in the grand house of Wentworth Woodhouse that my partner in Acacia, Xue Wang, and I created.
Installation #1: 'Held in the Still' (Wreath Style)
Rooted in the stillness and grandeur of Wentworth Woodhouse, this sculptural floral installation responded to the house’s layered history—its quiet opulence, paused in time, and sense of elegant reinvention.
Emerging from a grounded base of sculptural branches, the piece rose upward and opened into a floating botanical wreath, echoing the circular motifs found in plasterwork and decorative ceilings throughout the estate - especially within the whistle jacket room where the piece was displayed.
Designed to be appreciated from all sides, the installation has placed negative space at its core, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and experience the tension between movement and stillness. The upper structure, delicately constructed from hand-wired Lunaria, Papaver pods, and dried grasses, spoke to the house’s cultivated past and the wilder beauty of its surrounding parkland.
Glass tubes interwoven within the form held fresh, seasonal stems—Gloriosa, Clematis, and soft accent blooms in lilac, peach, and deep pink—each one a subtle, living interruption within the still architecture.
This piece honored both the refinement and resilience of Wentworth Woodhouse—celebrating the tension between nature and structure, past and present, silence and bloom.
Installation #2: Garden Confection
Our installation for the Whistlejacket Room at Wentworth Woodhouse took the form of a three-tiered floral cake, envisioned not as a traditional floral centrepiece, but as a living sculpture that seamlessly integrated with its refined surroundings. Set within the opulent Whistlejacket Room, the design drew inspiration from the idea of nature as celebration, where the beauty of the garden is not only observed but savoured and shared, much like a cake at the heart of a feast.
The floral 'cake' was constructed in ascending tiers, each one richly layered with carefully selected blooms. The overall palette moved through a gentle ombré gradient, beginning with deep purples, flowing through pinks and apricots, and fading to soft peach and blush tones. This gradual shift from dark to light, from cool to warm, was more than a visual choice; it represented the life cycle of a bloom - of birth, maturity, and graceful decay. These natural transitions were mirrored in the ballroom setting, where time, elegance, and transformation are embedded in the architecture itself.
The structure was intentionally sculptural, with a layout that felt both wild and precise - a design that appeared organically layered and slightly unruly, yet was intricately structured.
Delicate florals, moss, tendrils, seed heads, and small seasonal fruits were integrated to create a sense of naturalism. This approach ensured the installation felt less like a staged display and more like something that grew up through the floorboards of the room itself. These naturalistic touches encouraged closer inspection by viewers, drawing them in.
The 2025 theme invited designers to create installations that reflect floral abundance, transformation, and the grandeur of nature, all while harmonizing with the elegance of Wentworth Woodhouse. Our concept directly aligned with this brief in several key ways:
- Floral Abundance and Celebration: A cake is an icon of celebration. The rich layers and profusion of seasonal plant material evoke a ballroom in full bloom—joyful, generous, and alive.
- Historic Harmony: The Whistlejacket Room’s grandeur is not merely a backdrop but a co-creator in our design process. We had taken great care to design so our work sat in quiet dialogue with its surroundings, balancing ornate elegance with organic texture. The formality of a tiered cake nods to the symmetry and ceremony of the space, while the materials soften it.
- Immersive, Sensory Experience: Our piece invited the viewer into a moment of wonder. We love designing immersive pieces that draw guests to look closer. It’s both accessible and layered with meaning—encouraging viewers to pause, reflect, and enjoy the detail within.
- Sustainability and Seasonality: In keeping with RHS values, our installation prioritized the use of seasonal, locally sourced materials, with many coming from local flower farms. Our design reflected a deeper message: that beauty is everywhere, not just in cultivated perfection but in the overlooked corners of the garden.
- Transformation and Lifecycle: The ombré color transition reflected the journey of flowers through time—from bud to bloom to decline—mirroring the broader RHS theme of nature’s constant change. This narrative gave our installation conceptual depth beyond surface beauty.
Garden Confection was a piece that celebrated both nature and imagination. Rooted in the garden but inspired by artistry, it brought the outside in—transforming the Whistlejacket Room into a space where time, nature, and human creativity meet. By aligning closely with the Blooming Ballroom theme, our floral riser was designed to feel not only at home within Wentworth Woodhouse but essential to the story it tells.
